Miranda Lambert Knows What It’s Like To Meet Her Hero
Miranda Lambert knows what it is like to meet your musical hero, and she did just that when she met country icon Merle Haggard in the early 2010s. In an…
Miranda Lambert knows what it is like to meet your musical hero, and she did just that when she met country icon Merle Haggard in the early 2010s.
In an interview a few years ago, she told me about meeting her hero Merle Haggard, "I got to meet Merle Haggard. And most people don’t get to meet their heroes, you know? It’s very rare that people actually get to meet, face-to-face, their heroes, and that was really, really special. I said, like, 200 words in thirty seconds, just like, ‘blah, blah, blah, blah,’ everything I’ve ever wanted to say to him, and he signed my guitar, and he was so nice."
The country music Queen added, "I was honestly scared to meet him because, you know, meetin’ your hero is like, well, what if they’re in a bad mood? And then I’m crushed for the rest of my lifetime because they were mean. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh, I hope he’s nice,’ but he was — he was awesome."
For those who don't know (but you should), Merle Haggard is a country icon who was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1994. He was best known for his song, "Okie from Muskogee." Haggard was crowned the CMA's Entertainer of the Year in 1970.
Merle died on April 6, 2016, on what would have been his 80th birthday.
Lambert is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking major label debut, Kerosene, and had a special milestone release last month (3/14). To celebrate she unveiled the never-before-released "I Don’t Love Here Anymore," recorded during the original album sessions. Also, on April 25, fans can get 'Kerosene' on vinyl for the first time ever.
Miranda said, "This album changed everything for me. It’s where my journey truly began, and I can hardly believe it’s been 20 years."
She added, "Releasing 'Kerosene' on vinyl for the first time—and sharing a never-before-heard song from that era—feels incredibly special. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it and relive the fire that started it all!"
Kerosene debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart upon its March 15, 2005 release, eventually gaining Platinum certification by the RIAA, and earning praise at the time as a "thoroughly winning debut."
